Romance Themes Challenge: KatJason
by PunkPinkPower
Summary: 40 short stories about the relationship between Kat and Jason. Responce to a Challenge.
1. Friends

AN: This is a challenge I found on _Ars Amatoria, _the ranger romance site. This will be a series of 40 short Drabbles about my favorite couple, Kat and Jason. None of them have much plot, or ranger timeline, or are in any kind of chronological order. I can't even promise they'll be connected to each other. But is you like the story, visit _Ars Amatoria _for the challenge itself.

**Friends**

What does it mean to be friends with someone? That was a question Katherine Hillard was asking herself a lot these days.

Did it mean just being there when you needed them? Or did it mean being there all the time for no real reason? Does it mean giving each other presents on your birthdays, Christmas, or even on Valentines day when neither of you have a Valentine? Or is a note in your locker every now and then that just brightens up your day?

It's a strange question to ask oneself when your waking up on their couch at 3am with their arms wrapped around you, and the menu of the DVD you feel asleep watching is on loop.

Kat considered waking him up, but there was really no reason. They were both perfectly comfortable, and it was late, and if his parents hadn't woken them up then they had probably called Kats parents anyway. Besides, it was nice to feel the steady rise and fall of his chest behind her, she reasoned.

She supposed part of being friends was having someone to hang out with when everyone else was off doing something with their significant other. Like earlier that night for example. Tanya and Adam had, of course, made some excuse as to why neither of them wanted to hang out, which Kat had translated into "Leave us alone, we're making out". Billy had, like usual, been swamped with work from his undergrad course and the constant repairs and upgrades that had to be made in the power chamber. She had offered to help, but I had apologetically said that she would only distract him. Tommy was visiting Kimberly in Florida for the weekend, so he had originally been off the list. Rocky had been off with one of his many girlfriends on a date he probably didn't have the money for, and Kat knew that Rocky would go through the girl in a week and regret the lavish first date, so she wasn't angry he couldn't do anything.

It was only when she had called Jason that he had admitted to having made all the same phone calls, looking for something to do on a free Saturday night. So they'd picked up a movie to watch, made fun of it, thrown popcorn at each other, and fallen asleep during the last stretch of the movie. And that was where Kat found herself now.

It was where she'd been finding herself a lot lately. Kat shifted gently and glanced up at Jason's face. For some reason she wasn't at all surprised to find him watching her. She grinned and put her head back down on his chest.

"Comfy?" He inquired after a moment. Kat nodded, nuzzling into his chest.

"Very." She said quietly, and she felt him give her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Good." He murmured, adjusting his pillow a little bit and falling slowly back asleep.

Maybe 'friends' was a bit to impersonal of a word. But more than that? Kat sighed and closed her eyes. She'd worry about it in the morning.


	2. Dare

AN: This scene is simply dialogue. And may i remind that without reviews a writer is hardly motivated to continue posting. Just a thought. If you liked it at all, leave a review people. Feed the author!

**Dare**

"Truth or dare?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Truth or dare?"

"What brings this on?"

"There's nothing else to do. Now you're avoiding the question at hand."

"You must be very bored."

"For a Friday night at the youth center, the place isn't exactly bouncing."

"Point well taken."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Truth or dare!"

"There are better things we could do with our time."

"You're avoiding the question again."

"Fine. Dare."

"Afraid of what I'd ask if you said truth?"

"No. I… Figures, I play the stupid game and I get made fun of."

"No, okay seriously. Um… I dare you to go kiss Skull."

"Never."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"You have to do it."

"I don't recall any blood oath being taken."

"You're no fun."

"So I'm told."

"How about on the cheek?"

"No!"

(Pouts) "Come on!"

"Never."

"Then kiss me."

"…"

"What's the matter?"

"You?"

"Sure. I mean, why not?"

"Because… We're friends."

"Friends kiss."

"No, _Boyfriends_ kiss _Girlfriends._ Friends don't kiss."

"Aren't we edgy tonight?"

"Shut up, Jas."

"What's the matter? I was only teasing."

"Oh. Okay."

"…You were actually worried about kissing, weren't you?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Why don't you go bug Tanya, she looks just about as bored as you are right now."

"Because I don't want to kiss Tanya."

"And you want to kiss me?"

"Maybe."

"… Okay."

"Breath Kat, you look like you've seen a ghost."


	3. Secrets

**Secrets**

"Well I have to go anyway, so I suppose we'll just have to talk about it at school." Tanya said, and Kat nodded quickly.

"Yeah, I've got _loads _of homework." She glanced nervously at the closet that remained silent, though that must have been hard.

"Alright, well I'll see you tomorrow Kat." Tanya said as she opened the front door. There was a muffled crash from the direction of Kat's room and Tanya stopped. "What was that?"

"That?" Kat's voice squeaked. "I'm sure it was just Macy, she's been making a menace of herself all day." Kat covered, hoping the cat wouldn't come bounding up to the door at that moment.

"Oh." Tanya seemed to accept that and slung her purse over her shoulder once more. "Alright. Well, see ya!"

"Bye!" Kat waved and then hurriedly closed the door behind her, collapsing in a fit of giggles.

"You know I can't get out of here unless you open the door!" She heard the call from her room and walked towards it, considering making him stay in there a little longer.

"What's the magic word?" She questioned her hand on the doorknob. The closet door didn't have one on the inside.

"Kat!" He yelped. Kat giggled and opened the door, and Jason tumbled out towards her. He shot her a mock glare before he too collapsed into a fit of giggled. "I was beginning to get claustrophobic in there!"

"I know, I thought she'd never leave!" Kat replied, falling over on her bed as her giggled subsided. Jason joined her, sitting down and buttoning his shirt.

"Remind me again, why you stuffed me in the closet?" He remarked, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a sitting position.

"Because! They all already think we spend too much time together. Billy's caught on by now, and if they see you over here all the time they're going to just _know._" She said, making her facial expressions very big and exaggerated. Jason shook his head.

"And what's so bad about that, huh? I think they'd be happy." He mused, playing with her hand and lacing his fingers though hers.

"Well, yes…" She paused, unsure what he meant. "It's not like I'm trying to hide you or anything. But we will catch hell for it when they find out. And I don't know… I kind of like having a secret with you." She blushed and scooted closer to him, making her voice softer. Jason melted immediately, as she knew he would, and brought a hand up to her face.

"I hate it when you do that." He murmured, pulling her closer.

"Do what?" She asked softly, smiling.

"That." He smirked before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. She smiled when they broke away, and Jason pulled her down with him onto the bed. She snuggled into him and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Do you really mind? I mean, I know it's annoying sometimes, when we can't hold each other in public, but I kind of like having you all to myself." She mused, placing her chin on his chest.

"No, I don't mind." He murmured, kissing her again. "But eventually, I'm going to let the world know that your mine and no one else is aloud to touch you." He said proudly. Kat giggled some more before unlatching her hands from his own.

"Well that's fine, as long as I get to claim you're completely mine." She mused. Jason nodded with a smile. "But for now, I can have all the other boy toys I want stashed in my _other _closet." She teased. Jason rolled his eyes and brought his hands to her sides.

"Don't make me check every closet in this house." He teased, tickling her sides. Kat broke into another fit of giggled and begged him to stop, which eventually he did, but it left her breathless.

"Okay, the next chance I get, you're sides are _mine_." She mumbled, tucking his arms safely under her back. Jason grinned.

"So, where were we before Tanya interrupted?"

AN: Remember, reviews are magic. They make more chapters appear!


	4. Youth

AN: I saw that title and went, my grandma is going to be in this one. PS, dont forget to feed the author!

**Youth**

"Grandma, are you in here?" A voice called from down stairs. Velma rose slowly from her chair and headed to the stairs.

"Up here darling!" She called. She was answered when Katherine poked her head around the bend of the stairs with a smile.

"I just thought I'd let you know I'm home. And I brought a friend I'd like you to meet!" She called, disappearing for a moment. Velma heard a whispered banter before Katherine fully reappeared.

Velma started down the stairs, taking them one at a time. Her arthritis was bothering her quite a bit today, but visiting with her grand daughter was always something she enjoyed.

"Come over here!" She heard Katherine hiss. A young man obliged and Katherine swatted him on the arm as he stood beside her. He flinched in what seemed to be imaginary pain.

Velma reached the end of the stairs and gave her grand daughter a light hug. "How was school dear?" She asked, her eyes sweeping over the youth next to her.

"It was fine. Grandma this is Jason, he's a really close friend of him." Katherine fumbled with the words a little bit, she noticed, and she saw Jason blush.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hillard." He murmured, holding out his hand.

"Don't act so embarrassed," Velma chided, shaking his hand as firmly as she could manage. Jason blushed some more at that.

"We're just going to do some homework," Katherine seemed to glare at Jason in a funny way when he smirked.

"Alright dear, can I get you two anything? Something to drink maybe?" She offered, trying to keep herself looking busy.

"No, I think we're fine." Katherine answered. Her eyes were still straying back to the boy and whatever he was doing made her smile.

"Alright, I'll just be in the kitchen then." She watched them go over to the living room sofa and sit down before starting towards the kitchen, but she didn't miss the tongue Jason stuck out at Katherine when she swatted his arm.

Young people these days, she thought, pulling out a sponge and starting on the dishes before her son and daughter in law got home.

She heard a muffled laugh as Katherine began rummaging through her backpack loudly. Curious, Velma poked her head out of the kitchen and glanced into the living room.

Katherine had slammed a book onto the small table which they were now sitting at cross legged on the floor. Jason was watching her with an expression of pure admiration, and it seemed to make Katherine blush before she shoved him in the arm a little.

Velma wondered suddenly what a 'really close friend' meant these days. It used to be they would just call one another boyfriends and girlfriends. But maybe she was reading too much into it. After a moment it seemed as though they were fully focusing on their work, and Velma was just about to go back to the dishes when she noticed Jason's hand on Katherine's palm. It appeared as though he was drawing little designs with his fingers. Velma squinted, wishing she had her glasses on.

His fingers were traveling slowly up her arm, and Katherine was pretending not to notice, though the suppressed laugher in her voice said plenty. When Jason's hand reached her neck she grabbed his hand and gave him a look that would have been more impressive if she hadn't been stifling a smile.

Quickly, Jason leaned over and kissed her. Definitely not just friends, Velma mused.

She had stopped scrubbing all together at this point and the water was dripping on the floor around her feet. She quickly set the dish back in the sink and grabbed a dish towel, which she tossed on the floor and mopped up the small spill with her foot.

Taking another glance out at the living room she saw the two teens now holding hands which were placed on the table, both finally subdued enough to write something down. Jason, she noticed, must have been left handed, or that would have been very uncomfortable. Or maybe he didn't care. He did, after all, appear to have gotten when he wanted.

Ah, to be young and in love.


	5. Green Eyed Monster

AN: Like i said, none of these stories are directly related to each other. Some are from the same universe, others arent, and they dont go in any kind of order. They're just how i wrote them based on the challenge. Maybe after i finish i'll reorganize them to fit into an order, but right now they dont. So each one is seperate. Also, dont forget: Reviews are Magic! They make more chapters appear!

**Green-Eyed Monster**

Jealousy was not a feeling Jason liked very much. It made him angry, he lost his appetite, and he got this feeling in the pit of his stomach that would not go away. Most of all, it depressed him.

It depressed him because he'd never liked the idea of there being something that he could not have. Granted, he hadn't tried very hard yet, and not everything came easily to him, but the fact that so many others had already achieved what he could not… it vexed him to no end.

So watching Kat lean over to her lab partner and whisper something to him as they both broke out into giggles was not a pleasant way to start the day.

He'd been like this for a few days now. For some reason he just couldn't stop getting jealous of the boys she was spending her time with. He didn't know why he was letting it bother him. They'd only ever kissed once; it wasn't like they were even dating, let alone exclusively.

But still, seeing her around other guys irked him in a way he couldn't understand. It hadn't even bothered him this much when Emily would flirt with other guys, and on _purpose_.

Jason sighed and purposefully ignored the project at hand. Billy was probably getting angry with him for the little to no help he was providing, but that didn't differ from the normal. Only today Billy seemed to feel like being nosy.

"What's on your mind?" He asked quietly, out of rang of hearing of the others at their table.

"What does it matter?" Jason shot back, picking up his pencil to look busy.

Billy shrugged. "Most days I can at least get you to pay attention." He was scribbling some numbers across Jason's paper so that he would get credit for it. Jason signed. He really wasn't very appreciative of everything Billy did for him.

"I'm sorry man. I just… can't focus. I think I'm just tired, and a little drained." Jason pulled his paper in front of him as though to start working. Billy however had stopped.

When Jason looked up at him, he saw his friend shoot a knowing glance towards the pink ranger.

"Why don't you just ask her out?" Billy mused, indicating the giggling Kat with her lab partner Ryan. "Before someone else does." Billy murmured.

"Good question." Jason replied.

Maybe it was the not knowing that bothered him. He wasn't so sure he wanted to date her, but he wasn't so sure he didn't either. Also, she'd never mentioned their kiss, so he had no idea what she'd thought of it, if anything at all.

Feeling suddenly self conscious, Jason smelled his own breath. Billy rolled his eyes.


	6. Beautiful

AN: So I've been reading a lot, and I have this incredible urge to write, but there's this big brick in the way with the words "Writers block" on it. Luckily for you, I have at least 6 more chapters of this ready to go, so by the time I finish posting those, I'll hopefully be able to write again! Also, the only explanation I offer for this chapter is this: I remember a TV show where the guy called the girl this nickname, and it sounded so perfect for Jason to call Kat that, so that's her official nickname in my head. Enjoy, and remember the magic of reviews!

**Beautiful**

Jason sighed, starring blankly at the vast expanse before him. He shut his eyes, saddened that it did little good to relive the headache pounding behind his eyes. He had felt the start of it this morning, when he'd woken up late and had already missed his first class. It had increased when he'd spilled a soda on his backpack in his hurry, ruining all his homework. It had gotten even worse when Prince Gasket had shown up with a monster at lunch. And now, after school and sitting in the most serene place he could think of, his head was pounding harder and harder all the time.

Headaches are relentless. Once they start, there's no going around them.

Even here in the park sitting on the lush green grass and looking at all the colors of the leaves around him, the monsters doing a tap-dance in his head would not stop. He tried once more to focus on the clouds and make a few shapes, but without his contacts he had to squint, and it only made his headache worse. He closed his eyes and lay there, forgetting about everything around him and focusing on the darkness on the inside of his eyelids.

"Sleeping on the job?" A light, delicate voice sounded from above him, and Jason didn't even open his eyes, knowing immediately who it was. She was probably leaning over him, because the sun was blocked from his face.

"What job?" He murmured, letting out a whimper of disappointment when she moved to sit beside him and the sun was on his face again. The sun was suddenly blocked once more, and Jason opened his eyes a smidge to see that she had put her hand over his face.

"You're head still hurt?" Kat questioned, concern evident on her face.

Touched by her concern, as he always was, he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze before sitting up. He let the trees stop dancing before answering.

"Only a little. It isn't so bad now." And honestly, it wasn't. Jason wondered if there was anything Kat's company couldn't cure. Kat's face showed the lines of a smile, and she turned her head to look at the park. He followed her gaze.

"It's really nice out here, this time of year. Reminds me of home." She murmured, pulling her knees up to her chest and putting her chin down on them.

Jason took another look around them. The autumn leaves were in full swing, changing from light greens to light yellows, and then to oranges and reds, and finally to brown before they fell off the trees. It really was nice out. Jason just never had the time to appreciate it like she did, having lived here all his life.

His eyes slipped back to Kat, who was sitting very comfortably, lost in her own thoughts.

"What brings you out here, Pretty Lady?" He said, leaning back on his arms and watching the side of her face smirk.

"I was just wondering where you were." She muttered. She let the silence linger for a moment before turning her head to look at him and resting it sideways on her knees. "Why do you call me that?" She asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

Jason thought for a moment. When had he not called her Pretty Lady? It had become habit, starting in the beginning of their friendship. It had seemed like the logical thing to call her, because after all, Kat was very pretty. Gorgeous even. Jason had always known he was attracted to her and Pretty Lady had just been the nickname he had given her.

Of course, he had often called Trini Pretty Girl throughout their time together as rangers and even sometimes nowadays. But he didn't want to tell Kat that.

Realizing Kat was still waiting for an answer he cleared his throat. "Because you are." He said casually. She blushed a little and looked away. "I mean, it's just something I say because it's true." He amended, mentally shaking his head at himself. Billy had more tact. "I'll stop calling you that if it bothers you." He offered, but Kat was shaking her head.

"No, I like it. I do." She said, her voice somewhat shy. Jason smiled childishly at her and she giggled a tiny bit. She cleared her throat somewhat, though she was still smiling. "Wanna help me collect some leaves? It's for the crafts class I'm teaching tomorrow. Leaf animals." She said. She stood up and brushed off her white pants, looking at Jason expectantly.

"Yeah, sounds like fun." He muttered, taking the hand she offered him.

He noted, with some amusement, that the tap-dancing monsters in his head had gotten tired.


	7. Helm

AN: Sadly, this one is really short. But it's probably my favorite of all the ones i've written so far. Enjoy.

**Helm**

She didn't know why it had caught her eye like it did, and forced her to buy it. There was nothing _incredibly_ special about it. Plus she hardly ever wore it.

Jason riding a motor cycle was never something she promoted, especially not to him. But in order to ride with him she needed a helmet. So while she'd gone into the store with the intention of buying nothing but a plain, cheep, black helmet, she'd come out with _this_.

It was the strange swirl of red and gold that gave the helmet a pinkish ting and _that _was what had attracted her to it. The combination of all three colors had made her smile.

So maybe Jason had thought that her buying a helmet meant that she was fine with his riding a motorcycle. It hadn't, but he refused to believe otherwise. The truth was, the only reason she'd bought that thing was because it looked pretty. She had no idea if it would protect her head in a crash, or if it would even fit right.

But it was pretty. And, she thought, somewhat symbolic.

She ran her fingers over the design again, tracing over the gold, and then the red, and finally the place where they created her own pink ting of color.

She'd never known Jason as the red ranger, but she'd heard the stories from him and the others, and it was obvious that his first color remained his favorite. He still wore it often enough when he could mix it with something that didn't give him color withdrawal. He hardly ever wore gold because it was such a hard color to find. Dress shirts and jackets and belts and chains were all easy, but gold colored t-shirts were hard to come by. He stuck mostly to black these days with an occasional glimpse of his true colors. For example, the red shoes he had become so fond of recently.

Kat was finding herself more and more drawn to his colors, choosing to wear a red sweatshirt over her pink t-shirt. Or maybe a hot pink shirt with gold embroidery. Anything she could do lately to add a bit of him to her daily routine, she did.

The helmet proved to be no exception.

"Hey there, pretty lady." A voice sounded from beside her, and she jumped. Jason smirked back at her, his helmet held loosely under his arm in a familiar way.

"Don't do that!" She chided, punching his arm.

"Sorry." He amended, kissing her in apology. "Ready to go?"

Kat slipped on her swirling helmet carefully. "Ready when you are."

AN: just so you know, i couldnt figure out what to write for Helm, so i typed it in a search and the first thing that came up was motorcycle helmets. and i decided i liked that...


	8. Color

AN: This is similar to Helm, only this time it's from Jason's perspective, and they are different stories. Also, sorry this took so long, school is overwhelming.

**Color**

He didn't really notice when she started wearing gold, or red for that matter, but she never said anything either. It was very subtle. The first time he noticed, she was wearing a light pink sweater with golden sequins. He hadn't asked, but he knew she had understood the look he had given her.

A little later on she had worn a stripped shirt that had pink and red in it. No one else had noticed, and when he'd asked Tommy about it, he didn't think anything of it.

It was the little things he began to see, and he soon realized that when she wore red it wasn't for Tommy anymore but for him.

He'd never actually asked about it, just made subtle comments that she was perfectly happy to ignore. No one else on the team seemed to notice the sudden appearance of gold in her wardrobe. But then, he supposed no one else was looking for it.

That's when it occurred to him; she wasn't doing it for anyone else, she was doing it for him. Their own little silent exchange.

And then he started doing it to.

At first, no one noticed his pink shoe laces on his favorite red shoes. And nobody noticed the pink stitching in his black jeans. Of course, adding pink to his wardrobe was hard, but he found ways. He found a black shirt with a pink flower on it, like a boutonniere. He wore a pink wristband every now and then.

It was fun, and sneaky. He liked the secrecy of it all. But most of all, he liked the fact that it seemed to put a claim on one another. Wearing each others colors was a subtle reminder that they were together, even if no one else noticed.

The first time Kat had said anything, they had been sitting at the juice bar together. She had been starring at his shirt, which was white with gold and pink lettering. It read "Support your right to" in gold and "Arm Bears" in pink.

Kat had looked at it and smiled, saying nothing more than "Nice shirt."

Jason had let it slid. He wasn't about to say anymore than she did. But looking at a picture of the group, it occurred to him how blatantly obvious they actually were.

The other rangers were all wearing their respective colors, arms slung around each other and smiles on their faces. Jason had slung his arm around Kats shoulders, looking perfectly natural for the picture. It was the fact that he was wearing his black shirt with the pink flower and his black pants with pink stitching that he noticed. It was the fact that Kat was wearing a hot pink shirt with gold under sleeves and a shinny gold skirt that he noticed.

He wondered if the others had noticed yet. Looking at their reactions as they looked at the photo of the group, it didn't appear like they had.

So they made things more obvious. It was an unspoken agreement between them, this sharing of colors. It was a secret they shared, something that connected them to each other like nothing else could.

Pink and Gold, he decided, look very good together.


	9. Spellbound

**Spellbound**

"Jackie, be careful where you swing that!" Kat was calling to one of the kids. Jason shook his head, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her midsection.

It must have startled her, but she knew who it was. She gave him a quick smile before pulling away from him.

"Okay next house!" Kat called, and all the kids ran down the street. Kat shook her head and she and Jason fell into step behind them.

"Busy day?" He asked, looking over her costume.

"You might say that." She mused, taking off her hat and carrying it. "Thanks for coming; I don't think I could do this by myself." She said, watching the kids get their candy.

"No problem, I love Halloween. Any excuse to dress up as a pirate." He said, lifting his patch. Kat giggled at him.

"I agree." She said, twirling. "I love it."

Jason looked over her costume. It was a spider-webbed witch costume. Jason shook his head.

"What?" She asked, smiling at him.

"I see you more as a princess than a witch. No offence of course." He clarified when Kat rolled her eyes.

"That's what everyone says! But I always wanted to go as the bloody gory things when I was little, and mother had me going as all the Disney princesses." She huffed a small sigh of frustration and Jason laughed.

"Trick or Treat!" They heard the kids shout from the house. Kat had volunteered to take the kids from the Big Brother Big Sister program trick or treating because their parents couldn't, and Jason also being a member of the program had offered to help her out with the twenty or so ten year olds.

"They're a trip aren't they?" He asked, amused by the kids enthusiasm.

Kat nodded. "Most of them haven't ever been trick or treating like this, because they couldn't afford the costumes or they had no one to go with. They're really enjoying it." She said, watching the littlest ones trail behind the older kids.

"It's good though. It's the simple stuff you're supposed to worry about when you're a kid, not the grown up stuff." He mused, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Kat nodded. "Rebecca!" She called as one of the kids ran out into the street. The little girl turned around quickly. "Stay on the sidewalk!" Kat called. An older boy, Rebecca's brother Charlie, took her hand and held it tightly.

Jason smiled. "They all look really good. Nice job." He commented.

"We all spent the whole day in the youth center making their costumes. They all had such a fun time. Tanya and Rocky and Adam were setting up for the dance when we left." She said.

"Speaking of which," Jason murmured quietly. "Are we still going after we take the kids home?" He nudged her arm playfully and she blushed again.

"Sounds like fun." She mused. Jason smiled at her. He reached out and gently grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She squeezed back and they dropped their hands, following after the kids once more.

"Jason!" One of the kids shouted, coming back to join them. "Look at all the candy I've got!" he said excitedly, holding his pillow case open.

Jason gave it a thoughtful look, then reached in and snatched a piece. "Looks good."

"Hey!" The 7 year old shouted, and Jason smiled at him. The little boy heard his name sounded from somewhere up ahead and he gave Jason a look before heading back with the others.

Jason popped the liquorish in his mouth, looking back at Kat who was shaking her head.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head. Kat shrugged.

"Nothing. That was just… cute. You're good with the kids." She smiled. Jason smiled back.

"Yeah well, when they love you." He teased, reaching out to grab her. She shrieked and shrank away. Jason laughed at her.

"Watch it," she warned. "I'll put a spell on you." She waved her fingers menacingly at him. Jason smirked.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. "You already have."


	10. Reaction

AN: Well since the last chapter didnt earn any reviews, i'm just going to asume you didnt know it was updated. here's another little diddy for you, to tide you over until i feel like updating again. Remember, i have alot of the stories written, i just need to get some reviews to post em. This chapter is related to Secrets. Enjoy, and dont forget... Reviews are magic! They make more chapters appear!

**Reaction**

"I don't believe it." Rocky muttered in the silence. And frankly, neither did Katherine.

She thought he'd been joking yesterday. She'd never imagined he'd actually do it. But he had. Go figure. It seemed Jason was as unpredictable as he was attractive.

He pulled away from her slowly, a determinedly smug look on his face. She could only imagine what her own must look like. Shocked, pleased, giddy, shy, angry, embarrassed, smug… any one of them could have been true for the moment.

Jason turned towards their friends. "How are you guys today?" He asked casually, as though the outrageous kiss he had just given Kat in front of them all couldn't have been more normal. Kat smacked her forehead.

"Holy crap." Tanya muttered, a smile rising onto her face.

"Doesn't even begin to cover it." Adam finished for her. Their friends were all sitting at their usual table, starring up at them obliviously. Kat was been leaning against the railing, and Jason was now leaning next to her, his arm decidedly around her waist.

Billy looked only amused at the unusual affectionate display between the two. Kat had always thought he had known about them, and this proved her right. Tanya had a downright giddy smile on her face, and Adam was beginning to share her expression. Rocky was in the middle of wolfing down a sub sandwich, and a piece of lettuce was hanging from his mouth as he starred at them it utter shock. Tommy's eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped.

Kat could feel her cheeks flaming, and without another thought she turned to her smug partner in crime. "I hate you." She said loudly.

Jason turned his head, smugness still in place. "That's too bad, because I love you." He answered back. Kat shook her head at him, and his smile was too much.

She burst out laughing. She doubled over under the watchful gazes of her friends. She laughed as hard as she ever had. After several minutes, she stood and caught her breath.

"I can't believe you did that." She told Jason, smacking his arm. His threat the night before had seemed playful, joking, and not realistic. Perhaps she shouldn't have made fun.

"I told you not to underestimate me. You brought it upon yourself." He shrugged casually, smiling at her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that her friends were all still motionless, as though time had stopped for them.

"I knew it." Billy said, shaking his head. This seemed to snap their friend's attention back to reality, and they all reacted at once.

Rocky finally choked on his sandwich. Tommy ran a hand down his face, looking as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him. Tanya let out a little squeak and clapped her hands together. Adam started laughing and patting Rocky on the back, attempting to dislodge whatever was caught in his throat.

"Well dear, we're out." Jason told her calmly. She looked at him incredulously.

"You think?"


	11. Scars

AN: This is my first real attempt at angst with this couple.I mean, I've thought about it lots, but this is my first written piece. andI like the subject matter, though I'm not sureI conveyed the feelingI wanted to. I'd love reviews on this one guys! well, I'd love reviews on all of them, but I'll take whatI can get! And for all of you who have boosted my hit count up to 1200-some, but never leave reviews, a pox on your house.

**Scars**

Some scars never healed. He knew this from years of experience. He probably couldn't count the number of injuries he's accumulated over his few years of fighting. He knew he couldn't. He lifted a hand to his right shoulder and rubbed it lightly. Glancing down, he ran a finger over the familiar line. It was the very first scar he'd received in the line of duty, fighting Goldar. Billy had done his best to repair it and treat it, but it had left a large and bitter scar.

Jason had never liked looking at it, but after time he had grown used to the pinkish ting of the skin. He'd forgotten about it, and worn tank tops again in public. It had stopped bothering him. Scars never went away, but somehow you learned to cope with them.

Jason's fist clenched. He glanced again at the cabinet in front of him. Not these scars. Jason stood and took hold of the lock over the cabinet. With a swift tug of his arm the lock and the bolt it had been attached to came loose, and he tossed them on the floor. Jason grabbed the first bottle he saw and opened it.

He went over to the sink and poured it down the drain. He watched the foul smelling liquid circle down the drain, and once the bottle was empty he tossed it in the trash. He repeated this procedure several times, his thoughts spiraling and his eyes tearing.

_This_ scar would heal. He would make it heal.

Jason tightened his grip and the clear, thin bottle shattered in his hand. He cursed and staggered backwards, grabbing a rag. He held it to his bleeding hand for a moment, and then he began picking little pieces of glass from the blood and ran it under cold water.

"Jason?" The familiar voice sounded, but Jason did not turn. He refused to show his father the tears threatening to spill over.

He knew Jonathan Scott was looking around the kitchen confusedly, and Jason tried his best to control himself, focusing only on the pain in his hand.

"Jason, what're you doing?" His father asked, stepping closer. Jason blinked. Hard.

"I'm getting rid of this trash." He mumbled almost incoherently. He heard his father sigh.

"Jason listen, what happened to Kat-" He attempted to place a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder. His Jason shrugged him off and turned.

"Don't say it! Just don't!" He yelled, tossing the bloody rag at his father's feet. Jason willed his eyes to stay dry, but they would not obey. All the frustration, all the anger, all the rage, all the pain he had pushed aside for her safety was surfacing.

Jonathan dared not move, to afraid of setting off his troubled son. Jason turned away, taking hold of his bleeding hand again.

"I don't wanna be like him. I don't want this filth anywhere near me!" He pointed towards the alcohol cabinet he'd been in the process of emptying earlier. "I will never hurt her like that. I'm never going to drink, and she'll never have to be afraid of me, ever! She's never going to be afraid like that again!" Tears poured through his eyes as he spoke, remembering the look on Kat's face as she'd crawled into his arms earlier that evening, having run for miles to get away and into Jason's arms.

He remembered the pink bruise across the side of her face, and the blood on her arm. He had held her while she sobbed, dried her off and tended to her wounds. He'd held her until she fell into a shaky sleep, safe and far away from her father.

Jason had never seen her so afraid. And he was never going to see her that afraid ever again.

"Jason." For a second he thought he'd imagined it, but when he saw his father turn around as well, he knew it'd been real. Standing in the doorway, tears' straining her own face was Kat. She was dressed in one of Jason's T-shirts and her white shorts. Her hair was down, and it just barely hid the bruise that covered the left side of her face. Her arms were crossed as she starred at him, and he felt suddenly like a child being reprimanded by his mother.

She was barefoot, but she took careful steps towards him, avoiding the shards of broken glass. Finally she stood right in front of him, and her arms reached for his face.

"You are not my father." She whispered tearfully, pulling his head towards her own. She pressed their foreheads together gently. "I know you'll never hurt me, and I'm not afraid of you. That's why I trust you, Jason." She whispered. Jason nodded, thinking that he should be the one comforting her, instead of the opposite.

He rested his arms on her sides, and she pulled him into a fierce hug.

"That's why I love you." She breathed into his ear. Jason nodded solemnly, kissing her neck and cheek.

"I love you too." He whispered back. "I promise you, I'll never let him hurt you again." He swallowed hard. "I'll never hurt you."

Kat chuckled a little and pulled away from him. "I know." She told him gently. "I know."

The smile on her battered face was a double edged knife, but Jason knew that the bluish bruise would face, but her smile would remain.

She leaned into him again, sighing. He rested his chin on top of her head. They both jumped when they heard a sudden pop, and Jason opened his eyes to see his mother with tears on her cheeks, and his father pouring a bottle of alcohol down the drain.

"Some scars do heal, son." His father promised. "Some scars do heal."


	12. Dependance

_AN: This one is also a bit angsty, but not quite so sad because, hey, theres still hope! leave a review please! And thanks to all those whose reviews have kept this story going! people who dont review but keep reading, i think you'd better thank them. (pointed stare)_

**Dependence**

It was a long drive to the airport. Glancing at the clock, he knew he'd better floor it to her house. He grabbed his keys and a jacket and got in the car, hurrying to get to her house.

Paris was a long ways away, he thought solemnly. He'd already said goodbye, and he didn't really enjoy the idea of doing it again. It had been hard enough the first time. Thinking that this would probably be the last time he saw her for a very long time was hard. He'd been avoiding the subject since she'd decided to go.

She had been, after all, one of the main reasons he'd moved back to Angel Grove. Helping Rocky open up the Dojo had been a bonus. But with her gone, what was there really left for him here?

He pulled up to her house and got out of the car, and she was locking her door and lugging her suit cases out.

"Hey there, Pretty Lady. Running late?" He asked sarcastically, watching her fumble with her keys and taking her bags from her. She smiled brightly at him as she finished locking her door.

"You have no idea. If I could, I'd just about kill Tommy right now. He was supposed to be here an hour ago to take me to the airport, but we know how dependable he is." She mused, slinging her purse over her shoulder as they headed for the car.

"Why didn't he show up?" Jason wanted to know, thinking that Tommy might have known Jason would be the one she'd call when he couldn't come. He was going to slap that boy.

"He was at the Race track with his uncle and he lost track of time. He was just leaving when I called him." Kat shook her head. "Thank you so much for this Jas. I'd miss my flight if it weren't for you." She said as he backed out of the driveway.

"No problem, Pretty Lady." He said, smiling at her.

They got on the highway and Jason drove as quickly as he could, only having another 45 minutes to get her there.

"Are you excited?" He asked conversationally, instead of listening to the silence drag out.

"Yes, but incredibly nervous. I mean, I was good enough to get in, but staying in is terrifying." She said, looking through her purse for something.

"You can do it. I know you can." He said, dismissing her fears easily. She was wonderful at anything she did.

"It's scary though. It'll be the farthest away from Angel Grove I've ever been. I'm going to really miss it here." She looked out the window wistfully.

"You can always come back." He told her, only partly believing it himself. He wanted her to stay, but telling her that wouldn't do any good.

"Yeah, I guess your right. Still, I'm really going to miss you guys. I mean, I guess I knew it would be different once we passed on our powers, but I don't think I ever really believed it. But now that Tanya has moved to L.A. and Tommy is always in Stone Canyon and Billy is on Aquitar, there's only a few of us left, and it's so different. I mean, Adams always busy with school, and you and Rocky have been working so hard on the Dojo. I just never thought I'd really have to leave." Her voice had gotten quieter, and she sighed a little.

Jason sighed with her, agreeing wholly that growing up was harder than it looked. It wouldn't be long before Adam changed schools as well, and he and Rocky would be the only ones left in Angel Grove.

"I'm really proud of you, you know. For everything you've done with the Dojo." Kat was smiling again, and Jason was glad. "It's good that the kids still have somewhere to go now that the youth center is gone."

Jason nodded. "That was the goal. Rocky and I are partners now, but eventually it won't need us both. We just need to get it started. I don't know what I'll do after that. Maybe go back to school." He mused, never having given it much thought. Kat nodded solemnly.

"Everything changes so fast, doesn't it?" She asked, slumping down in her seat a little bit.

"Yeah, it really does." He answered.

They remained quiet until they pulled into the airport a good twenty minutes later.

"Okay, I've got my ticket, and I think I know what terminal I'm at." Kat said, grabbing one of her bags out of the trunk while Jason grabbed the other. They set them down on the ground.

Kat looked around and sighed. Jason shut the trunk and waited.

"Thank you so much Jason, I don't know what I would have done without you all these years. Your such a dependable friend." She said quietly, and Jason sighed.

"Glad to be of service. Good luck out there Pretty Lady." He said back. Kat smiled and hugged him tightly. Jason hugged her back, swallowing the lump that had been in his throat for so long. He didn't want to let go, but he knew he had to.

Kat pulled away slowly. "Thanks for everything Jason." She picked up her bags and began to head towards the doors.

Jason stood there for a moment, his mind warring with his heart as she walked away.

_Tell her_, it urged him. _Just do it, before it's too late._

"Kat!" His voice sounded before he could stop it. She turned around expectantly. His breath caught in his throat and he knew what he should say, but his mouth couldn't form the words. "Take care of yourself." He called instead.

Kat smiled brightly at him. "You too!" She waved and walked inside the doors and out of sight.

"And I love you." He murmured to the air. He blinked hard, gulping down a sob. "Goodbye Kat."


	13. Song

_AN: Since the last few I've posted have been angsty, i bring you some pure fluff. and if you review, i'll give you a monday angster! if you want, that is. Oh and the Song is, obviously, Elvis's Burning Love. absolutly no plot to this, btw, it's complete random fluff. _

**Song**

"Lord Almighty,  
I feel my temperature rising.  
Higher, higher  
It's burning through to my soul…"

Elvis boomed through the speakers of the radio Rocky was listening to. Kat smiled to herself as she lay there on the beach, soaking up the sun. She heard Tanya's laugh as she imagined Jason doing his Elvis impression for the hundredth time. Somehow, her imagination wasn't doing the trick.

She sat up and pulled down her sunglasses while turning around. Sure enough, Jason was whirling around playing an air guitar and doing that leg thing that Elvis was so famous for.

Tommy and Rocky were both amused, Billy wasn't paying Jason too much mind (being used to his antics after so many years), and Tanya was watching and singing along while Adam kept his attention on her. Kat made the mistake of giggling, thus letting Jason know she was awake. He quickly turned to her, pointing devilishly.

"Girl, girl, girl  
You gonna set me on fire!  
My brain is flaming,  
I don't know which way to go."

He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it, and she knew if she didn't he'd pull her up anyway. So she took his hand, and he yanked her up out of the sand and into his arms, and for a moment that was all that mattered.

"Your kisses lift me higher,  
Like the sweet song of a choir!  
You light my morning sky,  
With burning love."

He kept singing, and Kat found herself blushing and laughing along with him. She wrapped one arm around his neck as they twirled and let the other hang loose. Rocky was laughing, Billy had put down his book to watch, and Tanya was Kat-Calling. Literally. Kat felt her cheeks burning, and she couldn't quite ignore the "Mr. and Mrs. Presley" comment Tanya let loose.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh,  
I feel my temperature rising!  
Help me, I'm flaming,  
I must be a hundred and nine.  
Burning, burning, burning,  
And nothing can cool me!  
I just might turn into smoke,  
But I feel fine!"

She sung with him this time, and they both stopped to do the leg movement. He spun her around so that her back was pressed close to his chest, and sung into her ear a little quieter. Kat blushed and squeezed his hands, glad that the other rangers couldn't see her expression at the moment. He placed a quick kiss on her shoulder before twirling her out again.

"Cause your kisses lift me higher,  
Like a sweet song of a choir!  
And you light my morning sky,  
With burning love!"

They did a quick mock-tango, before he swung her out again. Tanya and Adam were snapping their fingers and singing along at this point. Kat imagined they must have made quite the picture. If only she had a camera. Darn.

"I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love  
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love  
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love!"

He dipped her at the last second and she laughed so hard she almost fell out of his grasp. But she knew he wouldn't drop her, so she let her arms hang down by her head as she got her laughter under control.

"Well, a hunk is a bit of a stretch," She teased as he pulled her up. "But I-" she didn't get to say anything else. He pressed his mouth firmly to hers in one quick, chaste kiss before pulling away with a mock glare.

Then he smiled. "Thank you very much."


	14. Test

_AN: So, monday angst became tuesday angst because school became stressful. sorry guys, but i hope it's enough to tide you over til saturday (which is when i usually update). Anyways, i like this chapter, and i hope you do to, and while it's slightly angsty, i think it has a happy ending. Remember, reviews are magic, they make more chapters appear!_

**Test**

Kat glanced at the negative read out one last time before dropping her head in her hands and sighing. Slowly, she stood from the toilet and refastened her skirt, sticking the tiny stick in her back pocket. She rinsed her hands and walked out of the bathroom, keeping her face as neutral as she could.

She didn't know why she was so disappointed. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before. Besides, she wasn't even late yet, she still had a few days, and her preoccupation with this was probably putting it off longer.

She headed into the kitchen and pulled out the chicken she had planned for dinner. Quietly she began getting everything ready, trying to urge herself into a better mood before that inevitable turn of the door knob that would announce her husband. But however hard she tried, she just couldn't stop thinking about the tiny stick that seemed to be burning in her back pocket.

Slashing through some vegetables for the salads viciously, Kat attempted to think instead of the upcoming wedding she was helping to plan as the maid of honor. Tanya and Adam had been dating for a very long time now, and somehow one of them had popped the question. Kat suspected it had been Tanya, but she kept that to herself. They were getting married in just a few months, proffering a close private wedding with family and a few close friends. She glanced once again at the table that had many bridesmaids dress pictures lying across it. All in yellow, Kat noted with amusement. At her own wedding Kat had been the most original of them all. She had picked out the same design of bridesmaids dress for all the girls, but had dressed them all in their own colors. She herself had worn a white dress with pink beads, and all the men had worn their color of ties. It had been very colorful, and all the girls had fumed about not having had the idea first.

Kat grimaced. Thinking of her wedding only served to remind her of her current predicament. It had been two years since they'd gotten married. They had waited till they were out of college so that they could start theirs careers and their family. Unfortunately, the former had been easier than the latter.

Kat stiffened, hearing the click of the doorknob from just out in the hall. She sighed and ran a hand over her face, attempting once again to concentrate on dinner.

"Kat?" Jason questioned from out in the hallway.

"In here." She called gently. Jason smiled at her as he came into the kitchen, placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Hey sweetheart. Smells delicious." He admonished, taking a deep breath. Kat smirked.

"Thanks. How was your day?" She asked casually. If she could just get him talking she could serve dinner and avoid her day all together.

"It was alright, nothing terribly exciting. Rocky stayed late to clean up." He said, putting his things down on the table.

Jason and Rocky owned a chain of Dojo's all through California. Kat had eventually gone into pediatrics, teaching ballet classes to the elementary kids down at the youth center in her free time. It wasn't exactly perfect, but they were both content in their lives. Mostly.

Kat sighed, and Jason noticed her silence. "How was your day?" He asked cautiously, studying her back. Kat could feel his eyes burning into her.

Kat resisted the urge to sigh. "It was fine." She said, rushing to make the salads so they could eat.

Jason, as always, saw right through her. "What's the matter?" He asked, coming up beside her and placing a hand on her hip. Kat shrugged.

"Nothing. Don't be silly, you're imagining things." She attempted a smile, though it probably looked about as real as it felt. Jason gave her a side long look. She did her best to ignore it, putting on a strong face.

Finally he sighed, moving to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms gently around her waist and put his head on her shoulder.

"It came out negative again, didn't it?" It wasn't really a question. She wouldn't be acting like this if it had been positive. A part of her wondered for the hundredth time why he was so good at seeing what was bothering her, but she reminded herself it was one of the reasons she married him.

Sighing again she reached into her pocket and showed him the test. Jason took it from her and tossed it in the trash. Kat looked away.

"So we'll try again. Why do you let it bother you so much?" He wanted to know, turning her to face him. She let her hands rest on his arms as she starred at his chest. He nudged her head with his own and she looked at him.

"Why can't I get pregnant Jason? We've been trying and trying… what if something's wrong?" She wanted to know, biting her lip. Jason pulled her closer.

"Kat we've both been to the doctor. You know we're both perfectly healthy. I don't know why we're having such a hard time, but don't worry babe. It'll happen. I want a baby as much as you do." He promised, rubbing her back gently.

"I know. I just… I want a baby! Look at Kim and Tommy! They already have two. I want to be like that." Kat sighed, resting her head on Jason's shoulder.

"You can't compare us to them. Now come on, it's not the end of the world. Look at it this way, when it finally happens it'll be all the more special." He coaxed, kissing her lightly. Kat sighed again and nodded.

"You're right. I know you're right." She pushed off him and turned around, trying to focus on dinner once more. "Now let me go so we can eat something."

Childishly, Jason reached over and turned off the stove.

"Jason-" As she turned back to face him he cut her off with a kiss.

"Let's try again right now." He murmured, trailing kisses down her neck. "Let's go make a baby." He teased.

She suppressed a giggle. "Jason!"

"Come on." He coaxed, giving her a devilish glance.

"I'm in the middle of making dinner-" She protested.

"Forget about dinner." He insisted. "You're all I'm interested in tonight."

Before she could protest farther he hoisted her over his shoulder as she shrieked in surprise. He began carrying her back towards the bedroom as she kicked halfheartedly.

"Fine," She giggled once he had thrown her down on the bed and crawled up beside her. "But don't complain to me when you get hungry tonight!"

"Oh don't worry," He teased, kissing her lightly. "The only thing I'm after is you."


	15. Time

_AN: This is kinda an angsty sappy one. Also, the one following it will be too, just a warning. But I do have something I'd like to point out. Capitalizing he/she after "" is perfectly alright as long as the "" has a "." in it, or some other punctuation mark. So. Stop. Complaining. It isn't going to change. Just thought I'd mention it. Anyways, on with the story._

**Time**

_Inspired by "He Gets that From Me" By Reba McEntire. _

"John?" Kat shook his arm lightly, and he raised a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. He blinked a little bit, shinning those big bright brown eyes at her. She affectionately ran her hand across his cheek and through his dark black hair. He shoved her away and sat up, stretching.

"I'm up, I'm up." He mumbled groggily, and Kat smiled.

"We're here." She said quietly, and he nodded. She reached behind her and grabbed the flowers, and John grabbed his sweatshirt and tugged it on over his head.

They got out of the suburban and Kat reached out for his hand. John grabbed hers, perhaps out of habit. For seven months, they'd repeated the same ritual every Sunday. They hiked up the large hill and down into the valley. Kay held open the little white gate and John stepped inside with her in toe. The reached their designated spot and stood, hand in hand, before the stone.

"Here, you want to put them down?" She asked gently, handing him the flowers. Her 8 year old son took the flowers from her and laid them gently on the grave.

_Jason Lee Scott_

_1979 – 2007_

_Beloved Husband, Friend and Father_

Kat read the words with pained reality, squeezing John's hand. He squeezed hers back. They stood in silence for a long time, both looking down at the stone.

After what seemed like forever, John's little voice came quietly. "I love you daddy."

Kat suppressed tears, letting one slide by and role down her cheek. John looked up at her expectantly.

"Can I go back to the car now?" He asked quietly. Kat nodded, handing him the keys.

"I won't be long. Go ahead and turn on the radio." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek and watched him run off down the hill and out of her sight for a second before he reappeared next to the car, unlocked it and got in. She turned her focus back to the stone in front of her.

"I don't know what I'd do without him, you know." She told the air around her. She waited a moment as though she'd receive an answer, but she never did and eventually she continued. "He looks at me sometimes with your eyes and I just can't say no to anything he asks. When he does that, it's just like you're here again. He smirks just like you used to do and there's absolutely no denying he's your child. It an expression I could never master." She paused, closing her eyes and letting a few tears fall.

She took a deep breath. "I'm okay, most of the time. Tommy comes over all the time and practices Karate with him, and I know you're glad he's got someone like that in his life. The girls keep me busy most days, and the floral shop is doing great. It's a bit harder to make ends meet, but I've got lots of help."

Her regular recollection of the week and the events was easy to recite, and she finished and looked back to the car.

"He tells me he loves me everyday, and always gives me a kiss on the cheek before he leaves. He gets that from you. He makes me laugh when I want to cry. He's everything to me. He gets _that_ from you, too.

"I miss you Jason," She stated to the air. The wind blew softly in answer, caressing her pink face. "We both do. Sometimes, when I'm up late crying, I hear him praying, asking God to make me better, and tell me you're all right. He really hopes we're going to make it through. And I know you wouldn't have it any other way."

She closed her eyes, and the wind blew around her again. For a moment, just a moment, it was as though he was next to her, his strong arms encircling her fragile body just like he used to. That was why she came every Sunday to this spot, to feel him near.

"He sure misses you." She cried, reaching up to wipe the tears away. "He gets that from me."

She sighed deeply, and then the feeling was gone. Alone again, she pulled herself up and held her head high, wiping away the tears. She wished with all her heart that things had been different, that he could still hold and kiss and protect her, but not any longer. Kat knew she had to be strong, because she still had a job to do. She still had a son to raise, and she couldn't just give up. No matter how much she missed him.

"I wish you'd had more time to watch him grow up. I wish you'd had more time to be with me. I wish you'd had more time. I love you, sweet heart." She whispered. Then she turned and walked back on down the hill.

She opened the car door and climbed in, looking at her little boy. She smiled.

"Shall we get some lunch?" She asked, reaching over and poking his stomach. John nodded.

"I love you mom." He said as she pulled out of the cemetery parking lot. Kat smiled, eyes watering once more.

"I love you too, sweetie." She answered, taking another look up the hill, where for just a moment she thought she saw a man. A man with dark hair, muscular arms, and big brown eyes. But it was only an illusion, so she turned her head back to her son, and reached for his hand. "I love you too."


	16. Take My Hand

_AN: So we get kind of a different side of angst here, from a different view and cause. hope you enjoy. i'm planning someone interesting for next week, so i hope you guys use the magic! (reviews)_

**Take My Hand**

Cautiously, I walk into the room, making sure to be quiet. I can already tell from the way the sheets are rumpled that she's awake, and she's been tossing and turning for the better part of the morning. But her eyes are closed and there's a straight look on her face. She's trying not to make me worry. But I do anyways.

"Are you planning on getting out of bed today?" I ask, sitting down on the edge. One eye slowly flutters open, and then the other. She smiles weakly at me, and she attempts to get more comfortable.

"I don't think I can." She murmurs quietly, almost inaudibly. Carefully, I straighten out her sheets and covers and fluff her pillows, and she lets me out of habit, or maybe because she lacks the energy to complain.

"It's a beautiful morning." I tell her. She twists her head to look out the window, thinking carefully.

"Will you help me?" She wonders aloud, though she already knows the answer.

Wordlessly, I offer my hand. She stares at it for a minute, like a child taking a piece of candy from a stranger, and finally reaches out to grab it. Her grip is fragile, but mine makes up for it. I pull back her sheets and help her move her legs off the bed. She wrapped her arms around me, and together we stand.

Step by careful step we're able to make our way to the front door, which I've already propped open. I lift her gently over the threshold, and she's outside. She smiles at me, a look of complete gratitude, and I know it well.

We stay standing for a few minutes, but by then I can feel her legs shaking. We make our way to the porch swing, and we sit down on the pink cushions.

"It is a nice morning." She says, blinking in the early sunlight. The way it's hitting her face makes her look paler than she already is, but her eyes are the same crystal blue they were the first day I met her and they light up her face.

It's been like this for 3 months now. Every day is a little different, but the situation is the same.

It's only been a year since we've been married. When I married her, I'd planned on spending the rest of my life with her. But I suppose this will have to do. After all, who can know the future? But I love my wife, and I'll stay with her here for as long as I can.

She's dying you see. It's some strange type of cancer I can't pronounce. We don't talk about it any more. We did in the beginning, but not anymore.

Some days all we do is sit on the porch. Others, when she's feeling up to it, we go for a boat ride on the lake. Or we ride out around the house on the horse we own. Sometimes we just stay in bed, counting the freckles on each others skin. We always talk about something or another. Often, we discuss the life we have planned.

Sometimes I wonder if she's happy, because that's all I really care about now. And whenever I ask her, all she does it reach out her hand to me. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don't.

But when I do, she smiles at me, and she always says the same thing. I'm still not quite sure what it means, but it helps me sleep at night.

"When it happens, I'm not going to be afraid. I'm going to remember how much I loved you, and that will never die. There are no goodbyes for us, Jason. Only love."

Sometimes we cry, sometimes we laugh. Other times we don't say anything at all. But when I reach out my hand, I can always feel her taking hold.

And that's what I'll hold onto. Because for us, there are no goodbyes. Only love.


	17. Yield

_AN: Oh my goodness! It has been so long since i've updated, i feel horrible. I'm really sorry guys, but i had finals in school, musical rehearsals and my muse decided to go to the bahama's for a vacation.i cant promise anything, but i'm hopinh updates should become pretty regular again, with all of that over. and if your hoping that too, you should review and let me know! Enjoy guys._

**Yield**

She sent another flying kick as his chest which he barely deflected. He threw a punch at her midsection, but she caught his fist and turned it against him, punching him just under the arm. There was a certain grace in her movements that he had always attributed to her being a dancer, but it truly showed when she was fighting. Her concentration was nearly unbreakable, and that was easy to tell as they continued to run through the motions of sparring.

With her occasional battle cry and the triumphant and yet concentrated look she wore, even the untrained could tell she was a well seasoned warrior. So many years of being a ranger had that effect on a person, he knew.

There were several things that played with his concentration, especially when he sparred with her. It could be the constant contact of their arms and limbs, or it could be the tight pink leotard she wore. Maybe it was the sweat that began to accumulate on her body as they're fighting continued.

There was one thing for certain. There was nothing Jason Scott found sexier that a woman who could fight for herself. Especially if that woman was a beautiful blonde named Katherine Hillard.

She lunged at him again, and he pivoted just enough so that she missed him, but he could feel the wind gush past his skin. Now it was his turn to charge. She pivoted around and let a punch fly past his ear, higher than she had probably meant to, and he brought her arm down and brought his knee up into her gut. Or at least he tried to. Kat let herself drop and Jason went down with her at the shock of suddenly having to support her weight.

His concern was needless though, because she had planned that. In one smooth movement she planted her foot in his solar plexus and tossed him over her head. Kat rolled up into a crouch and before Jason could move again she had pinned him down, one foot on his chest, and one hand at his neck.

They were both breathing heavily and in the silent room the sound of it was like thunder. Kats concentration was unending and the fierce look on her face hadn't quite relented yet. Jason's lips quirked into a small grin and he held up his hands.

"I yield." He said quietly. This seemed to shake Kat out of her fighting mode, and she let out a breathless laugh and stepped away from him.

"Are you alright?" She asked, dropping to her knees beside him. He rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine; I think I'll just stay here for a while." He mumbled, letting the air seep back into his lungs.

"I guess I've gotten better, hmm? I mean, it's not every day a girl beats Jason Scott." Kat teased, and Jason glared. She stood up and headed towards the benches, grabbing a water bottle and taking a drink.

"I _hate_ to point it out to you, but you do have a slight advantage, you know." He protested, getting into a sitting position. Kat brought his water bottle back to him and sat across from him.

"How's that?" She asked innocently. Jason picked up her wrist and waved the morpher around.

"You happen to be the pink ranger. Last time I checked, I was powerless." He smiled at her and took a slug of his water. "And those things do pack a punch. Something to do with stamina, and endurance."

Kat pursed her lips, still relishing her victory and not ready to chock it up to being a ranger. "Well I can't say anything for your endurance, but your stamina…" She teased, and Jason let his jaw drop in mock shock and squirted some water at her.

"Behave yourself!" He said sternly, and squirted some more water at her. Kat giggled and deflected the water, squirting some of her own at him.

"Oh come on, being a ranger is helpful, but I still won. You may have had a very long day Mr. Scott, but I've been fighting monsters all day." She pointed out. "I think it balances out."

Jason glared at her again and stood to retrieve his towel. "Maybe," He admitted, dabbing at his face and slinging the towel over his neck. "But we'll try this again some time without that morpher."

Kat giggled from the floor. "You're just upset because you lost to a girl." She teased. Jason gave her an appalled look.

"I am not! I am simply trying to point out that unfair advantages hardly dignify a win." He told her, picking up her own towel. "And I'm a little upset about losing to a girl." Before she could respond to that he tossed her towel at her.

It hit her square on the face and she fell backwards laughing. Jason watched her and couldn't quite suppress his smile. He went over and sat back down next to her, watching as she tried to control her giggles. And then suddenly, the most wonderful idea struck him.

Before he had further time to think about it he lunged at her. She let out a shocked squeal which quickly turned to playful panic as she realized what he was doing. His fingers were at her sides in an instant, tickling her until she couldn't breath.

"You may be able to win at sparring now, but this is one thing I will always win at." He told her, smiling and watching her thrash around in his arms.

"Jason…" She gasped for air between giggles. "Stop!"

"What was that?" He asked mischievously. "I couldn't quite hear you!" He told her relentlessly. She gasped for air and tried to fight his hands away.

"Alright!" She breathed, laughing uncontrollably. "I yield! I yield!" She yelled. Jason let his hands rest at her sides and she rolled over in her giggles. He crawled up next to her, bringing them level together.

"And now we're even." He told her smugly. Kat glared, but it did little good when combined with the brilliant smile she wore.

"Not yet!" She said in a triumphant voice, and she reached for his sides. He was two quick for her though, expecting the retaliation. He caught her hands with his own and gave her a threatening look.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" He asked, and Kat bit her lip and shook her head. "That's better." He told her.

Before she could reply he pressed his lips to her own and lost himself in the feel of her kiss. After three hours of sparring with her and never getting within more than a foot of her, it was nice to finally be rewarded for the effort. Kat wrapped her arms around his neck and he scooted closer to her, relaxing into her arms.

A chime sounded suddenly. That was the most annoying sound in the world, Jason decided. He was going to make Billy, or Justin, or whoever change it. But then he'd only have another sound to hate.

Kat broke the kiss reluctantly and they sat up, bringing the communicator to her lips. "Katherine here." She stated.

"Hey Kat, we need you back here. Justin has an idea about how to stop those false alarms from happening again." Tommy's voice spoke over the communicator. Kat sighed.

"I'll be right there." She shut off the little device and turned to Jason with an apologetic look. He held his hand up before she could say anything.

"Go get 'em, Pretty Lady." He told her gently. Kat smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss before standing to collect her things.

She slipped on a shirt over her leotard and pulled on some jeans, stuffing everything into her bag. She listed her communicator teleport, but looked at him last minute.

"I'll call you tomorrow." She promised. Jason nodded, and then she dissolved into pink sparkles.

Jason sighed, looking after her. "And be careful." He told the air.


	18. Game

**AN:** Well, it's been a long time since i've updated this. I stopped because the people i was doing the challenge for shot me down. But, i guess i figured out that I should be doing it for myself. I'm going to try and finish what i started instead of giving up on it, no matter what anyone says about it. I hope some of you will continue to read these and enjoy them. Thanks guys.

**Game **

"What's wrong with the name Brittany?" Jason wanted to know, sitting beside his wife on their sofa.

"It's just, I don't like it alright?" Kat answered, rubbing her hands over her stomach and glaring at him.

"Why?" He wanted to know again, laughing at her reluctance.

"When I was five a girl at school threw dirt at me and her name was Brittney. I don't like the name." She stated defiantly. Jason laughed, which he later decided was a mistake. "How would you like it if we named her Emily?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Now that's not fair," Jason told her, turning to face her. "You wouldn't want to name her that any more than I would." He said firmly, and Kat's face turned into a grin.

"Well, maybe. But still, there are plenty of other names out there." Kat stated, once again picking up the baby naming book. Jason rolled his eyes.

"Besides, you're still assuming it's a girl. When did we decide this? It might be Jason Jr." He said, wiggling his eyebrows and giving her a look. Kat laughed.

"Alright, so we need to pick two names, one for a boy and one for a girl." She giggled, but Jason shook his head.

"Middle names two. That makes four." He held up four fingers and Kat slammed the book against her face.

"Uh. It's all so overwhelming!" She shouted. Jason took the book from her and set it on the table. He kneeled on the floor in front of her and grabbed her hands, kissing her palms.

"Overwhelming, and exciting and amazing and wonderful." He told her, placing one hand on her stomach.

Kat giggled and leaned towards him, kissing him quickly and then hugging him. "It is, isn't it? Oh Jason, I really can't believe it!"

"I know, it's amazing." He whispered in her ear. They stayed that way for a while longer, holding each other and giggling. When Jason finally pulled away from her he rejoined her on the couch. "I have an idea." He said, picking up the book.

"What?" Kat asked, grabbing his arm and resting her head on his shoulder so they could both look.

"We both pick a bunch of names we like, and then we play a game of chess." He stated, flipping through it again.

"Chess?" She looked extremely skeptical.

"We assign a name to each of our pieces, and whichever piece is left at the end if the winner." He said. Kat rolled her eyes.

"How would our kid look at us if we told her we decided her name over a game of chess?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_He _would probably think it was the best thing we could do because_ he_ would know _his_ parents can't agree on anything." He said, putting his face close to hers. Kat breathed a puff of amusement at him.

"We've got plenty of time to decide all this, I mean, I'm only two months!" Kat stated, trying to take the book from him.

"Oh come on, let's just try it! Nothings set in stone, and who knows, we might end up with something we like." He told her, kissing her cheek. Kat glared at him for a moment before smiling.

"I'll get some paper." She said, standing up. She came back with a piece of paper, and she labeled it in two columns: Kat & Jason.

"Okay, let's pick some names. Girls or boys first?" He asked, flipping through the book.

"It's a girl, so we might as well do those first." Kat mused, writing girls at the top. Jason smirked.

"Okay, girls it is." He began making a list of names and Kat did the same.

By the end of the game, they were down to three names; Madi, Johanna and Lori.

"I like them all." Jason stated, looking them over.

Kat blushed. "So do I." She said, giggling and laying her head down on his lap. Jason affectionately ran his hands through her hair.

"I think we can worry about narrowing down the boy's names later." Jason murmured, kissing her forehead. Kat sighed and set the list down.

"Like we said, we still have time. I'm not worried. The important thing is… Jason, we're gonna have a baby." Kat whispered, starring up at him.

"Yeah," Jason replied just as quietly, resting one hand on her stomach. "We're gonna have a baby."


	19. Dawn

AN: I'm not exactly sure where the ideo for this morbid sort of fic came from, but i couldnt shake it. Now that it's done, i'm not sure i like it, cause it's really really AU. when reading, asume there was some type of huge ending battle between the Zeo's and Mondo or something. Let me know what you think.

**Dawn**

He's pacing by the window again. It makes me nervous, but I don't think he knows that he does it. He's thinking so hard that everything around him disappears, even me. He knows what's coming, I can tell. I think I know it too. I think everyone does. It might be the biggest battle we have ever faced.

I think he's disappointed he won't be in it. I can't really blame him. I don't know what its like to loose my powers, and he's done it twice. He's still a ranger at heart though, anyone can see that. Still, I can't see why he wants to put his life in danger. It isn't something any of us choose. It's not an honor. It's dangerous.

"Jason?" My voice sounds way too loud in the silence, but he doesn't hear it. "Jason." I try again. This time he stops and turns to me with an apologetic look.

"Sorry." He apologizes and comes to sit with me. "I know you hate it when I do that."

"You do it without thinking." I answer, lacing my fingers with his. He smiles.

"You know me too well." He squeezes my fingers. I lay my head down on his shoulder and continue to stare out the window at the surrounding city. Everything is so peaceful and quiet. Like the calm before a storm.

Jason rests his head against mine. "I hate the quiet. It's so… foreboding." He voices my thoughts and I squeeze his hand once more.

He leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. I try not to think about the feeling in my heart- the feeling I might not see him again. It's been this way since this morning. We all woke up to a beautiful day filled with sun, but it didn't feel that way. Things were tense with all the rangers, and we all tried not to say anything. It was Adam who finally stated the fear we all felt. Knowing that we all felt the same thing was comforting and terrifying at the same time.

I feel restless, uneasy, and cold. Something is coming. I can't ignore it.

"Jason?" I ask into the quiet once more. I feel his head shift above me.

"What?" He asks, startled out of thought.

"If I don't come back… if I don't see you again-" I begin, and I bite my own lip. Jason's hand comes to my face, tilting it up to look at him.

"Hey, don't talk like that. We've faced evil before. This will be no different." His words are strong, but his eyes show the fear he's trying so hard to hide.

"I've never been this scared before. Before today, death never crossed my mind. I'm so scared, Jason." I try to keep my eyes from tearing up as Jason pulls me close. Crying won't help either of us.

"I know. It's terrifying. But we can't let that fear take hold. We can't let it control us, or they've already won." He rocks me gently back and forth, and I suddenly resent being treated like a child. I might die tomorrow. I don't need to be babied.

I pull away from him and stand, crossing to the window. He stares at me for a moment, and I can feel his eyes on my back. Finally he stands and joins me at the window, not touching me but offering his presence.

"I don't think it will end that way. I don't think it can end, not really." He states suddenly, and I nod slowly.

"But if it does," I try again. "It if does… you know how I feel." I turn to him, but he doesn't look at me. It's only then that I notice the tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, I do. I love you too." His voice is barely above a whisper. I reach out my hand to touch his arm, and he turns to envelope me in a hug.

I stroke his head and he clings to me. I hold on as tightly as I can, clinging to the hope he offers. I only hope that it will be enough to see me through. I look to the window once more.

The sun is rising. And so it begins.


	20. Distraction

AN: Wrote this for something else, but realized it worked better for this.

**Distraction**

_We know very little about the Plains Indians that inhabited the Great Plains…_

Kat had probably read that sentence 70 times, and she still had no idea what it said. She knew she should flip the page so she could at least _look_ like she was doing something, but she was too afraid to move, to afraid of drawing attention to herself and the color her cheeks must be by now.

She should really stop him. She should really get some work done. She had finals coming up in a week. She knew that. She just wasn't listening to herself.

But damn her if his hand didn't feel good. He had such nice hands. And he knew so well what those little circles did to her. How incredibly distracting he could be!

The library, Kat decided, was not such a safe place. Especially if you chose to come there with Jason.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him scribble something down on his notebook and flip the page with his free hand. She also noticed the coy smirk on his face. Apparently, multitasking was a talent for him.

She wanted desperately to just leave right now. She wanted to grab him and take him to her car and repeat the events of the previous night. But she couldn't, being as they were really supposed to be studying. If Tanya, Adam and Billy had not been with them at the table, she could only imagine what she'd do to him right here, right now. She was sure it would get them kicked out of the library, anyways.

She took a deep cleansing breath (that was completely silent), and starred hard at her text book once more. She_ would_ finish this paragraph, and she _would _write something down. No matter how high his hand was getting on her leg…

"Jason," Billy's tone cut in sharply. "Stop pawing your girlfriend's leg under the table long enough for you to both get some actual work done. Save the rest of it for later." He reprimanded, giving them both a pointed look.

Jason cleared his throat and removed his hand from beneath the table, laying it calmly beside his book.

Mortified, Kat slowly dropped her head to the table. It landed with a slight smack that echoed in the stunned silence of her friends. Tanya's laugh was not appreciated by Kat's burning ears.


End file.
